George de Benneville Window, First UU Church, Reading, Pennsylvania

UU History for You

     George de Benneville (1703-1793) was born in London to exiled French  nobility who were of Huguenot faith.  He was the youngest of nine children and his mother died shortly after his birth.  He was sent to and raised by his uncle who worked in the court of Queen Anne of England. At age 12, he was sent to sea and in Algiers noted the caring behavior of Moors for each other.  He had a conversion experience on his return to France and began preaching what were considered heretical views that were similar to Universalism.  He was arrested twice, and moved to Germany where he became a physician and worked with Dunkers and other Pietists, absorbing their doctrines of a separation of church and state, pacifism, universal salvation, and a striving for self-perfection.  He heard about the freedom of religion in America and emigrated in 1743 settling in Pennsylvania.  There he practiced medicine, married, and had six children.  He combined in his preaching the best he found in the world's religions, believing that all religions were imperfect, but all religions had virtues that were worth adopting. He was unusual in learning the languages of the American natives with whom he lived, believing this was a way to show respect for his neighbors.